Meet Ilich Gomez | Background/Layout & Prop Designer for 2D Animation

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ilich Gomez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ilich, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Working in any creative industry comes with a high level of risk, the pursuit of a creative career is competitive and there’s a lot of work behind the scenes that needs to happen for you to achieve the amount of success you want for yourself. Whether you’re doing it just to get by or become the person to direct the next Into the Spiderverse there will always be a risk.

For me being a first-generation Mexican-born in America the cards were already stacked against me I feel, my family came all this way to give us a better life but to get that sense of a better life was ultimately up to me. Without getting too deep, much like others in a similar situation, our families were just there to help us find a better standard of living. Unfortunately, there was only so much they could do passed a certain point with all of the extra roles they now have to take on. Growing up There was always a pressure to do something extraordinary, to not let their efforts go to waste so when the time came after high school to choose a career path it felt like the worlds weight was on my shoulders. Ultimately, I chose art, a career path filled with risks, but with every risk, there is a possibility of a high reward and that was enough for me.

Art has always been present in my life. My mom has kept plenty of my drawings some that even go back as far as the first grade. I remember even back then I always colored within the lines on the silly coloring pages the teachers used to give us, they were always impressed. Throughout high school I never put much thought into it. I mostly drew graffiti on my assignments and my friends at the time constantly pushed me to pursue tattooing. Mom would not approve of course. Detroit is one of the biggest underdogs of a city there is. An emerging art world exists here but the opportunities are not as abundant as in other big cities. It wasn’t until my high school teacher had me fill out a questionnaire for College for Creative Studies a school I had never heard of. Up until this point, I didn’t know there were other avenues for art that I could make a living out of so I was immediately interested. That was until my parents looked at the insane price tag for said college.

Boy oh boy did we not have that kind of generational wealth or knowledge to even know to go about paying such a crippling amount of money. It was already too late, my mind already made up. I had to grow up fast a figure everything out on my own to make this possible. At this point, I’m already taking a gamble on myself so why double down and not go all in? I gave up a summer to do summer courses in community college to reduce the initial cost. By that next winter semester, I had enrolled as a student in their entertainment arts program for animation. Animation? If you are confused as to where that came from believe me so was I. This is a fun fact I love telling people: I do not remember filling out that as my major at all. I called the offices on my first day to ask them what my major exactly was and they even asked me “Is that ok? Would you like to change it?”
I said no.

Before getting there I had spun out on the highway from how icy the roads were and ended up facing backwards looking at oncoming traffic going towards me. Nothing happened. Everyone stopped. I was able to turn around and I kept going. I was more afraid to be late on my first day but in my head, this experience was a sign of fate as if I had made the right choice by coming to CCS. So when the worker in the office asked me if I wanted to switch majors I had the utmost confidence to say no.

This was my biggest risk in life, I had no prior knowledge of animation, no friends within the field, or any idea where this could take me. I am starting from square one. Moving forward throughout the next four years making genuine connections, lifelong friends, and making small waves of progress, I finally feel like I have found out what I wanted to do. This sense of identity is what has shaped my life for the better and has made me not just a better artist, but also a better person. Today I continue to make a stronger portfolio in hopes of breaking in as background/layout or prop design for 2D animation.

Currently, this industry is on fire, we are facing harsh problems like like AI, outsourcing artists, and a large grocery list of other issues. I am sure most feel this way, but when times are tough like they are right now it’s easy to feel discouraged, like you’ve made the wrong choice to try to enter this industry but
from the very beginning this was a risk. I with other artists have made this gamble to bet on ourselves it is important to remember what we’re doing this for in the first place. Even if I have to pivot from my original plans I will continue to create the art I want to create and continue taking those same risks without any regrets.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As stated previously I am a first-generation Mexican artist who was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area. This alone I feel has made me come up from specific and interesting circumstances especially coming from poverty. To most, these circumstances are unfortunate or rough, and don’t get me wrong they definitely are, but there is something I’ve noticed from the community I grew up in. Our lives consistently are about making the most of what we have. That concept alone is the very core of what I stand for. My goal ultimately after taking care of my friends and family is to inspire and energize the Latino art community. I want others from similar backgrounds to know that there are opportunities out there that are worth pursuing. I want to give the knowledge I have now to other Latinos who are starting out with no direction.

My artwork is a reflection of my life, and I enjoy incorporating a heart-to-heart from-the-hood perspective into my drawings. Diving deep into my current work you can see many aspects of this in the stories I try to tell. I tend to lead my stories/designs with an overall positive message to try to offer a new way of thinking so people can have something to look up to. When I talk to people about my branding I always try to describe it as a Detroit City rodeo that’s always on fire. Detroit again is known for being the underdog which I love absolutely about it. (keeps the tourists and influencers away) From the constant housefire of a city that continues to have a rep, there are so many wonderful things that come from it that I take inspiration from in my branding. I try to combine that and the other side of my life which is my family from the northern side of Mexico where they love to party and every day feels like one big rodeo.

My job experiences include freelancing as a background designer for various short films, independent upcoming YouTube series, and even doing animation for some ad companies. I currently have been involved with helping create an unannounced short film. This year I’ve also had the privilege to work as a professor at the college I graduated from. I teach freshmen how to jumpstart their careers, and to teach seniors how to brand themselves. I have also gotten to Lead their Sponsored Nickelodeon workshop alongside my great friend Tyler Koberstein which has been nothing more than an amazing experience. Although I have yet to break into the big studio full-time position of my dreams I have gotten close. With the information I have gathered, I aim to give the students the perspective of someone still trying their hardest to make it happen. Seeing the student improve drastically within a short amount of time has been nothing short of rewarding and I am glad to be able to give back as much as I can.

Although this has been an exciting journey so far it hasn’t come with its struggles. Aside from the obvious current issues plaguing our industry we also had the pandemic halt everyone’s lives for two entire years. The hardest challenge for Detroiters trying to enter the animation industry is networking. When the main desirable studios are not within a driving distance it’s hard to stay connected. I have spent the last few years doing online Zoom calls reaching out to recruiters, other artists, mentorship groups, flying out to CTN, Lightbox, and Ottawa, in hopes of creating genuine connections and solidifying my network. When I hear positive reactions to my art from recruiters it gives me hope that allows me to continue pushing forward when I feel like all of this is for nothing.

All things considered, the group of friends I graduated with has been an exponential help in growing as an artist. That healthy amount of competitiveness mixed with the drive to make large impacts in our fields has made a strong team. We share our resources when possible, and are always there to give each other advice. Although we are more separated post-college we still find time to talk every day. I encourage everyone to do the same and find a genuine group of friends to work closely with when starting in this field. As corny as it sounds I would not be as remotely successful without my friends.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love exploring the city finding new things to do and new restaurants to visit.

Monday:

Go for lunch in Pontiac to visit the food trucks. There is a strong Latino community throughout Pontiac here you can find food trucks with Mexican, Puerto Rican, Salvadorian, Honduran, and Venezuelan food.

Take the scenic route to Detroit through Woodward Ave and see all the nice vintage cars that people are driving.

Make a quick stop at Red Hook to grab a good pastry and coffee.

To avoid the weekend rush this is a good day to go thrifting around Royal Oak and Ferndale have a few stores all close to each other to spend a few hours looking for clothes.

Dinner at Imperial. Although not the most authentic location the food selection is wide, and their drinks and their Sonoran Hotdogs are incredible.

Tuesday

Taking advantage of a not-so-busy day again

Babo is a great place to eat brunch. The aesthetic is nice and I have yet to try a bad food item here.

Visiting the DIA is a must, there’s a lot to see here currently they have a Van Gogh exhibition. If breakfast wasn’t enough they have an indoor cafe with a beautiful open-roof that lets sunlight enter the entire space.

While still in Midtown this is a good time to visit the Scarab Club or the Carr Contemporary for more art-related viewing.

The Detroit Zoo is a great spot to end the night in, sometimes throughout the year they also have after-hours where adults can come to drink and socialize.

Wednesday:

Wednesday would just be great to get shopping out of the way before the weekend.

The Great Lakes Mall is one of the biggest outlets in the US so it’s worth experiencing at least once.

Somerset Mall has all of our high-end luxury brands if that’s more your speed,

outside of there is Kura Sushi a revolving sushi restaurant that’s a lot of fun to go with a group.

UHF and Found Sound Records are some of my favorite record stores I like to visit as well.

Vault of Midnight is a Comic book store that has everything comic book related you could be looking for.

Downtown Detroit has plenty of stores to visit as well, the two to see just for the aesthetics of the buildings are Shinola and Gucci.

Thursday:

A day spent in Mexican Town.

Mexican Town Bakery has been since I was a kid, the quality of their pan dulces is unmatched by any other Mexican bakery I have been to.

a few buildings over, there is a small store that sells Mexican street food like mangonadas and elotes.

La Jalisciense is a Mexican restaurant/market with a great take on Mexican food and drinks.

There are plenty of Mexican markets to buy imported ornaments and art. Along the way, There is so much art and history to see around this side of town. Every corner you cross there is a beautiful Mural to look at.

At the end of the night El Club is usually open if you want to dance and drink to Latino Music all night.

Friday

A day for sports depending on what season it is, Detroit is an interesting city where all of our major arenas are right next to each other. If the Lions are having a good season you can see the whole town explode with excitement after a game.

The Garden Bowl is a beautiful bowling alley not too far from the Little Caesars Arena to visit.

There are also a few Barcade places that are a lot of fun to go with groups of people.

The Skip is in an alley around downtown. with a few bars and some clubs to end the night.

Saturday:

Starting in the morning at the Eastern Market before it gets too busy. This is our major farmers market with vendors selling their produce, art, and other goods. They also have major events like Flower Day which gets absolutely chaotic. I like to visit a little Mexican import store nearby called Viva La Vida Imports.

For Lunch trying Boabab Fare is a must. This is a 5-star restaurant that specializes in East African food. This is absolutely one of my favorite places to eat.

Detroit has a lot of Jazz clubs Cliff Bell’s being a staple.

If there are any events at the Fox, Masonic, St Andrews Hall, or the Filmore this is the day to go. There are always shows going on. at the Fox Theater alone is worth visiting just to see the beautiful architecture,

If not continuing the night at any of the clubs, arcades, and restaurants around Campus Martius can be a fun night.

Only a few restaurants stay open past 1 AM Owl and Little Bros are staples for midnight meals for me and my friends.

Sunday

Will be a day to relax. Bell Isle has one of the first-ever aquariums and fun places to walk around. If it’s warm enough you can even go for a swim around the River.

If you’re a music Lover the Motown Museum is a great place to see the history of all our favorite Motwon Super Stars.

The cool thing about Detroit too is right across the river in Canada and if you want to see Niagara Falls it’s only two hours away.

I don’t usually go to these but there are 3 Major Casinos around the area that can go into any of these days.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom and dad of course. They will always be at the top of my list the amount of trust and support they have given me is something I can never take for granted and will always be the reason I will continue to grow in all aspects of my life. They deserve the best and I want to provide that for them.

I would also like to shout out my first instructor who has made the biggest impact in my creative endeavors. Mel McCann. She has 10+ years of experience as a freelance character animator and storyboard artist currently running her freelance studio Eat Rice. Mel always pushed me into new directions and took extra time to give me meaningful advice on how to improve. She was always known as a harsh instructor; she never sugarcoated her critiques while giving the class the advice they needed to hear. To teach and run your freelance studio was an aspect of her that was admirable and I respect her immensely. although I always gave her a hard time I appreciate every opportunity she has given me moving forward!

Website: https://www.ilichgo.art/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilichgo/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilichgomez/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ilichGo

Image Credits
All Drawings are Ilich Gomez drawn by me.

The Photo with Me and the class were taken by: Amber Zundel through the College for Creative Studies Marketing team.